- Frank Briant
Frank Briant, (1863 ["Who was Who", OUP 2007] - 1 September 1934) was a British Liberal politician and
Civil Servant . In religion he was aCongregationalist .He was a member of Lambeth Council, the
London County Council and the House of Commons. He was first elected to Lambeth Council and was elected Chairman of the Council in 1899, a position he held for 20 years. He was elected as a Progressive Party member to theLondon County Council in 1905 representingLambeth North . He served as both a borough and county councillor through to the end of the World War I.He stood as Liberal candidate for Lambeth North at the 1918 General Election. Despite his Unionist opponent receiving the 'coupon' letter of support from
David Lloyd George he gained the seat from the Unionists. His election was one of only a handful of gains made by the Liberals at these elections.In 1919, due to the commencement of his parliamentary career, he stood down from the Chairmanship of Lambeth Council, and retired from the London County Council.
He retained his seat in the House of Commons at every subsequent election until losing it to Labour in the 1929 General Election.
In 1931 he returned to municipal politics and was re-elected to the London County Council again representing Lambeth North. Later that year he regained his Lambeth North seat in the House of Commons, defeating the Labour candidate at the 1931 General Election.
He continued to represent Lambeth North in both the House of Commons and London County Council until his death. He died on 1 September 1934 at the Alford House Institute for Workingmen and Lads of which he had been the superintendent for 47 years [The Times, 3.9.34] .
References
*The Liberal Yearbook
*Leigh Rayment's peerage page - http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Lcommons1.htm
*The Story of the London County Council
*Portrait of Frank Briant - http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/person.asp?LinkID=mp65384
*List of Liberal Party (UK) MPs
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